Ashley Graham: ‘I Am More Than My Measurements’

Glam squad magic;

A photo posted by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@theashleygraham) on Jul 20, 2016 at 5:43am PDT

According to Ashley, she looked slimmer only because of the way she posed for the photo. It’s all about angles, as everyone who’s ever taken a selfie knows. “The reality is I haven’t lost a pound this year,” she wrote. “In fact, I’m actually heavier than I was three years ago, but I accept my body as it is today.” Plus, she points out, even if she did lose weight, it shouldn’t be an issue. “I work out not to lose weight but to maintain my good health,” she wrote. “And anyway, if I did want to lose weight, it would be no one’s decision but my own.”

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Ashley says some people think she’s too curvy, while others label her too tall, too busty, too loud, and, apparently now, too small. “When I post a photo from a ‘good angle,’ I receive criticism for looking smaller and selling out,” she says. “When I post photos showing my cellulite, stretch marks, and rolls, I’m accused of promoting obesity. The cycle of body shaming needs to end. I’m over it.”

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She points out that body shaming comes in many different forms. “Body shaming isn’t just telling the big girl to cover up. It’s trying to shame me for working out,” she says. “It’s giving ‘skinny’ a negative connotation. It’s wanting me to be plus size, or assuming I’m pregnant because of some belly bulge.”

And finally, she makes this point: “I am more than my measurements… My body is MY body. I’ll call the shots.”

Cue the slow claps.